Tainted Bloodlines
by Anaiya
Summary: The bloodlines of the heroes live on, but the darkness that threatened to consume the Planet has never died, and this time she can manipulate friend against friend and child against parent. Can the impending future of the Planet be saved for a second time
1. 2: 1

Notes and Disclaimers:

I began writing this before Advent Children was

announced and due to laziness, I decided to abandon

the project. I make no claims to say this is what Advent Children

will be like, because this has NOTHING to do with

Advent Children.

Chapter one: Twenty-Two Years Later….

"Bye, Mom, Dad, I'll see you in a week!" A teenage

Girl called to her parents.

Her parents—a tall man with spiky blond hair and mako exposed blue eyes turned around and waved at his daughter. "Be a good, Yumeo." Her mother, a woman with short blond hair and chocolate brown eyes walked up to her and gave her a quick motherly hug.

"I have all the emergency PHS numbers on the 'fridge,

make sure you be careful when using the stove, and absolutely NO parties."

"Elena," Cloud chuckled, "Yumeo is able to handle herself." He said as he patted his daughter's head that was covered with slightly spiky blonde hair, "besides, we've been gone before."

True, Elena and Cloud have visited their villa in Costa del Sol during the summertime, but they usually took their daughter along with them. This time, it was Cloud and Elena's fifteenth anniversary of being married. Yumeo insisted that they go on a vacation and she was old enough to take care of herself. "Mom, I'll be alright," Yumeo insisted. "There's no one in this boring place to party with, anyway." She said, then gave her mother a hug before adding, "I just want you to enjoy yourselves once in a while."

Yumeo was referring to her hometown of Kalm. After the war with Sephiroth, Cloud moved to the peaceful town of Kalm to relax, get a job, and live a normal life. While the Neo Midgar was being built, Elena decided to visit family. Cloud and Elena saw each other at the bar. They had a short fling, Elena got pregnant, and they got married. Elena quit the Turks after her got married, but stayed in the military.

"I'm just worried about ya, kiddo." Elena said with a

playful smile. "This place sometimes doesn't live up

to it's name, you know."

"Elena," Cloud said getting impatient, "We may want to think

about actually leaving."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Elena said matching Cloud's voice. "Bye, Yumeo."

"Bye, Mom, bye, Dad!" Yumeo called again from the doorway. She rolled her eyes as her dad put an arm around her mother and loudly announcing, "Let's mosey!" She smirked slightly when their parents left in the buggy. She closed the doorand locked it. Her eyes shined mischievously as she unfolded her hand to reveal a key to the attic; a room she was "forbidden" to go in. She stole it out of her mother's pocket when she hugged her. On her way up the stairs she tossed the key in the air and caught it with the opposite hand she threw it with.

"Oh shit, Amon! Watch out!" A woman with brown hair held in a loose pony tail and hazel eyes yelled as she pushes her comrade out of the way of a falling wall of the cave.

"Why the sam hell did Reeve send us to investigate?" Amon complained as she got up off the ground,

Marlene shrugged her shoulders, "because Violet wants all the female SOLDIERS dead? But wait...didn't Reeve order Violet to send SOLDIER here?"

"That's probably it," Amon agreed, "sending the female division of SOLDIER to investigate the North Crater while the men get the sissy mission. He wants us all dead."

"Damn sexist mayor," Marlene grumbled with a tone of good nature. "Shall we try to find the rest of the division?"

Amon looked over the circular cliff to revel an almost bottomless pit, "How 'bout not.."

"It's just the Lifestream Marlene said as she took a look

down the cliff and lost her nerve as well.. "..How about this, I'll throw a rock down there, and if we hear it land, we go down, and if not, we sit here and pretend to do something?"

"Works for me," Amon said as she picked up a rock

from the rumble where the wall crashed as she handed to Marlene, who tossed it down the pit.

When a small crack was heard when the rock landed, Marlene looked slightly taken aback. "That doesn't sound like rock hitting rock to me."

"You probably just knocked out a monster, that's all," Amon said with a shrug.

Marlene looked at the crater some more before she finally concluded. "I could have it someone in SOLDIER, who knows how far they could've gotten by now."

"Does that mean that we better get our asses in gear before they send a search party up to see who the wise guy was?" Amon asked.

Marlene nodded and started down the rocks, trying to keep her balance along the way.

"If we get chewed out by that bitch Turk, you're taking the blame, Gainsborough."

Hosia swore slightly under her breath as she climbed by the rigid cliffs that were the North Crater. A few minutes ago, a rock hit one of the members of SOLDIER in the head, causing her to lose consciousness, but

hopefully it wouldn't cause major brain damage. She informed one of the First-Class SOLDIERs that she was going to check it out since Marlene Gainsborough, and Amon Adon disappeared a little over an hour ago. Hosia knew too well that those two were the clowns and made any division look like fools just having them there. It wasn't so much Marlene as it was Amon---she was a bad influence on her friend, that was for certain. Marlene had the potential to make it to First-Class, but due to her constant goofing around, a promotion was not in her future.

Hosia hated looking for the misfits, but it was her

job and Hosia Gast always did her job, no matter how

much she hated it.

"I thought you two would turn up somewhere," Hosia

said with annoyance clearly in her voice as the two SOLDIERs jumped down to the ledge she was currently standing on. Marlene glares at her, she couldn't stand the Turks and defiantly not this particular Turk. What was so goof about her, anyway?

Hosia was young, and she was already very well known. Newspaper said she may be the Next 'General Sephiroth.' In many people's eyes, she looked just like him, tall, beautiful, petite, but well built. Her eyes were just the same has his: turquoise orbs that mocked everyone around her. The only difference was her hair, which was light brown and not silver.

"We're..ugh...incredibly sorry, ma--Ma'am," Amon stuttered, forgetting about her earlier words. "But you see, there was this avalanche and we got--stuck..."

"It's true," Marlene cut in, "we tried calling for help on our radios, but they were...dead."

Hosia struggled not to laugh at such a corny story, "telling tales such as that may be the reason you two aren't moving up in rankings," she said before motioning for the two to head down.

"What a bitch," Marlene muttered under her breath as

she followed the Turk.


	2. 2: 2

Elena sighed heavily as she pushed a stray strand of blonde hair out of her face and stared at her drink with boredom. Her mood to drink was lost as soon as Cloud and he were seated in a booth by the bar.  
"This sucks," she muttered but her words were muffled by her hand which was being used to hold her head up. She glanced at Cloud who was engrossed in the woman in front of him. Tifa Lockheart or rather Tifa Amano. How COULD she forget she was married now? Elena stole another glance at Tifa before concluding one thing: _How could a slut like that marry?_  
Elena let out another sigh as she gathered her belongings. Maybe getting piss drunk would lure her out of this depressing mood, but she couldn't be comfortable drinking here at Tifa's Final Heaven with her husband twelve feet away making googley eyes and passes at his childhood friend.

"How have you been Cloud," Tifa asked quite concerned as she finally saw Elena leave after glaring at her for a while. Tifa tried not to notice but she still felt humiliated at the same time since everyone always made one assumption about her: she was easy because that's the way she looked.  
"I've been fine, Teef, how about you?" Was Cloud's automatic reply.   
Tifa bit her lower lip slightly before she leaned over and looked at Cloud dead in the eyes.   
"How have you really been?" She tried again.  
Cloud looked over to the spot Elena had been sitting a few minutes prior to that and was slightly surprised to see her gone, but immediately understood his friend's question.  
Elena has always been the protective type," Cloud fumbled to try to find words. "Maybe she got tired and needed some air, or something…"  
Tifa closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and smiling slightly, "do you want to check on her, then?" she asked.  
"I should," Cloud replied as he stood up. "Thanks for the drinks. Want Elena and I to come by tomorrow and maybe you your husband and us could do something?"  
"I would like that," Tifa said as she stood up and started clearing the table the two were sitting at off. "Except for one thing," she said in a voice barely audible "my husband died."

* * *

Yumeo coughed and stared blankly at the objects that lay before her. She fingered the laminated ID she held, which contained a picture of her mother about a decade younger than she was at the present. It was dated seventeen years ago.  
Her anger rose. Why the hell be so secretive about this? Her mom was a former Turk, so? Why not tell her so she could feel almost proud of her parents rather embarrassed.  
Tossing the ID aside, but not out of mind, Yumeo continued rummaging through the dusty room. There was materia that Yumeo marveled at, wondering how her parents could collect such nice materia—especially the summon spells.  
Noticing a large chest towards the back of the room, Yumeo got off the floor and brushed the dust off of her clothes. As she approached the trunk, she wondered what could be in it.  
"Probably dead bodies," she snickered as she lifted the lid off the massive chest. Her mouth dropped to an O as she marveled at what she saw.  
Inside, were several fine looking broadswords that seemed impossible for a human being alone to lift.  
_Go on, dear. Take that one…_  
Yumeo froze as she looked around the room. No one.  
_Don't try to look for me, you will only fail, for I can only exist within you._  
"Screw this," Yuemo said as she closed the lid of the trunk. Convinced she was only hearing things, she continued her rummaging. Moments later, she was hurled forward clutching her head. Pain was shooting through her whole body.  
_Trust me, I am not a pigment of the imagination._  
"What do you want with me?" Yumeo demanded as she tried to stand up, but was knocked to the ground again.  
_I want to help you. I've been with you your whole life just watching and observing you. I see how much pain and shame your parents bring to you. Even your peers in a town like this avoid you. You're miserable, Yumeo. Please, let me help you._  
"Okay," Yumeo said softly. "What do you want of me in return?"  
_We'll cross that bridge as soon as we get to it. For now, grab that sword. _Yumeo's gaze fell on a sword that seemed to emit a light. Taking it up, it wasn't as heavy as she anticipated.  
_Good girl, now, you are in a room full of equipment and materia…  
_

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Marlene asked as she and Amon looked below them.  
"An eruption," Hosia said under her breath before she started to run towards the bottom, but lost her footing and slide down the canyon.  
Marlene was the first to follow her. No matter how much a bitch Hosia was, her mother taught her well.  
"Oh man," Amon said as she followed suit.   
Hosia gritted her teeth and stood up, trying to ignore the pain and the blood staining her uniform. She unbuttoned her jacket and examined the wound. It wasn't as bad as it felt. Lightly touching it, a green light emitted from her hand and the wound slowly closed.  
Hosia," Marlene said as she reached the bottom and stumbled forward a little, "are you all right?" She asked as she noticed the blood.  
"It's nothing," Hosia said as Amon reached her friend.  
"Where ARE we?" Were the first words that came out of Amon's mouth.  
Hosia looked at her surrounding before she spoke, "we are probably near the bottom of the crater judging from the abundance of Lifestream."  
"Shall we look for the rest of the division?" Marlene inquired, not liking the surrounding area. There was something eerie about the Lifestream that frightened Marlene.  
"We're lost, aren't we?"  
Hosia was caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even realize that she separated herself from Marlene and Amon. However instead of looking for them, she continued to walk forward as if something was compelling her.  
It wasn't long before she came upon an area where there was no Lifestream present. Her eyes scanned the area and they settled on a long metallic object.  
_Take it,_ a well-known voice hissed in her ear. She was one of the two beings that could speak to her.  
_No!_ The voices protested. _You're our last daughter, it would only bring more suffering to you and your ancestors._  
Hosia closed her eyes and concentrated on ridding her mind of the entities. When her mind was clear again, she stared at the object before her. "A sword is only as fearsome ad its master was," she said calmly as she stood above the blade and she stared back at her reflection.  
"Hosia!" A SOLDIER yelled. "Move out, the Lifestream is going to cause another eruption."  
"Damn it," she said as the SOLDIER ran off. Before she to fled, she spin around and put the Masamune back in its scabbard. She then buckled it on her pants and headed up towards the crater entrance.


	3. 2: 3

_No more pain…no more sorrow. The memories of them are all up in flame. _A smile appeared on Yumeo's face as she remembered the cries and pleas from those who made her to be a social outcast.

All those painful memories were returning. The people in Kalm hated her and her parents just because of their affair and her mother conceiving a bastard child.

She hated her father for having Mako run through her veins and passing on the faint blow her brown eyes possessed.

She hated her mother for arranging play dates and making her fit in with a town who is too prudish for their own good and that are against them.

Now it was all. She watched the destruction of her hometown silently and she could almost see the smile on the being called Jenova's face—if she had one. Trying to tune out the screams as the people were being incinerated. It was the smell of charred flesh that made Yumeo lean towards the end of the cliff that overlooked Kalm, she heaved and sobbed uncontrollably.

"What have I DONE?!" She screamed and continued to sov. She could only imagine what the death toll would be tomorrow.

_Don't you remember all of the pain they gave you? They deserved to do penance. _

"But to kill them?" Yumeo demanded. "You bitch! How dare you make me do any of that."

_My dear, it was not I who killed those people. You were the one who hand selected the Fire Materia and it was you who set the town ablaze. _

Jenova laughed and it sent cold chills down Yumeo's spine. She was ashamed of herself for what she had done, but instead of feeling sorrow towards her actions and hatred directed to Jenova, she felt numb and emotionless.

_Shall we continue on, or let speculators come and see you in you in your misery and draw conclusions off of that? _

Cloud was relieved to see Elena's shoes lazily kicked off in front of the door. Before he tripped over them, he kicked them to the side and saw Elena on the couch in a fetal position. Her head was buried in her knees.

Cloud sat down next to his wife and took her in his arms, "'Lena, I'm sorry. I should have considered you before Tifa and I went on our own." He sounded so sympathetic. The response Cloud got was Elena burying her face in Cloud's chest and sobbing harder.

After a few minutes, Elena was able to speak again. "Yumeo's dead, Cloud. Everything we have is gone, and Kalm is up in flames."

"That's not possible," Cloud hissed to his wife as he took her by the shoulders. "You goddamned liar," he was now shouting and shaking Elena. "You just want attention, that's all you have ever wanted!"

Elena shook her head slowly. "You need to accept it," she said in a whisper. Cloud's eyes seemed to be on fire, but softened when he heard a small knock on the door followed by Tifa walking in with tears in her eyes accompanied by her son.

"..I can't be happening," Cloud said, letting go of Elena and leaning back on the couch.

Reeve wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before he answered the phone. "Reeve," he said into the receiver. "Yes…Violet?.....Where are you?"

"Right here," Violet Blair said breathlessly as she walked into the mayor's office and put her cellular phone away. She had a very youthful face that was highlighted with her bright blue eyes. She had long purple hair that was tied back with a barrette. She certainly lived up to her name, Reeve gave her that. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized with a slight smile. "There was a situation I had to take care of."

"Are the Turks going to investigate the Kalm fire?" Reeve inquired as he cradled the phone.

"Not all of them," she answered. "Kuroshi and Aya are heading towards the area as we speak. Vincent and Hosia, however are too far away to make it in time, but I'll send them over when they first report back to me."

"And what about Alexandrite."

"He died last week, remember?" Violet said, "That's where you got in that squabble with his brother Zincite."

"Of course," Reeve said feeling quite stupid at the moment to be upstaged by such a young woman. "Will you go to Kalm yourself?" He asked. "I have friends who lives there. Just inquire about the Strife family; I'm sure they are the only people with the name Strife in the village.

"Are you sure that is wise for me to be going alone?" Violet asked. Sure she had her gun, but she never really felt safe since her mother's death.

"I couldn't help but overhearing," a suave voice said from the doorway as a tall man with dark skin said. He had forest green eyes and hair that hung loosely around his head. "But I myself couldn't let a lovely lady as yourself go to a fire by yourself. What do you say, dad; me escort her."

Reeve waved one hand away, "as long as you don't act like a real escort to my Public Safety advisor, I don't care.

"You don't care, now do you?" Violet asked with her eyebrows raised and a bemused grin on her face. "Your father doesn't care what we do, let us be gone, my dear Skah."

When the two left the room the good-natured act of the man dropped instantly. "Those fools," he muttered. They would learn to use caution the same way he did. The incident in Kalm only added on to his list of worries. First activity in the North Cave and an explosion in the City of Ancients, and now a city up in flames. _Sephiroth…goddamn you, can't you just stay dead?_

Why the hell was Vincent not answering?

This was bad. Hosia clenched her jaws together as she tried to piece together the past hour. First, she had to go baby-sit two SOLDIERS who were grown women, Second, they got lost and the North Cave erupted once more. Now, she was on an island surrounded by Lifestream and the airship took off.

Amon pointed her finger under Hosia's nose. "Its YOUR fault we are stranded here. If you didn't want that long-ass goddamned sword so bad—"

Hosia cut her off. "Not only is it your fault we are here because you decided to wander off, your ignorance is pitiful. Perhaps you SODIERS are not allowed to know classified information as the Turks do, but you should know what this 'sword,' as you lovingly call it is."

"Masamune," Marlene muttered, her back was towards the two other women. "It is said you cannot gaze upon that sword without dying…nor can anyone but Sephiroth touch it. Tell me, Hosia Gast. Why is it that you can touch the Sword that Cannot be touched without being Sephiroth or a clone of his?"

Hosia turned around in surprise at the woman's knowledge. How could a lowly SOLDIER know that? Unless…?

"You think you Turks know everything, even a kid like you," Marlene spat the next words, "Sephiroth clone."

Hosia clenched her jaws together and after a minute, she got her anger in check "I am not a Sephiroth clone," she replied levelly. She eyed the gun in Marlene's hand warily, but did not let the fright slip into her features.

"Then what are you?"

"I don't know. Some would say the last Ancient. Others would say an experiment." The PHs started to ring and Hosia was all to quick to answer it. "Vincent. Where have you been?"


End file.
